When Dating Is Hazardous To Your Health

Good Morning! For those of you in a long term relationship you may think this post is not relevant, but hang in there - dating your partner whether long or short term is both fun and potentially relationship saving! Although this is not a blog primarily about relationships and how to fix them, it is something that came up in clinic as a topic of conversation with a patient (you know who you are). It also was an opportunity for me to weave into this piece a mention of a special person in my life - Mark - who wondered when he may be included in my blog...here it is you big spunk!

When I was consulting with this patient, we discussed that she had started a new relationship in the past few months and was having a blast, feeling loved up, dined out and for the first time in a long time - presented quite relaxed and centered. All except for her skin, which we have treated before and had it nice and settled in after an extended stressful period in her life, along with possible food sensitivities.

In a previous consultation, we identified that she was reacting adversely to a set of specific foods through effective intolerance testing, and we embarked on moving those out of her diet, replacing them with other highly nutritious foods. We also set about powering up her digestive and immune systems to get ready for a re-entry into reactive food world if she desired to try those again.

It goes without saying that on starting her new journey with her big spunk, and in the courting process of wining and dining - her skin started to go insane! Previously stress was a factor, but in this case it was simply her reactions to foods and beverages her immune system could not cope with.

It made me think how often do you throw out our usual health approach in a relationship so we can present ourselves as a desirable person to the big spunk/gorgeous woman in front of you? Have you been prepared to drop the ball on your own health in order to captivate another? Its understandable when you have been on the search for an ideal partner for a while - but the take home message here is - HEALTH FIRST, HAPPINESS ALWAYS!

Consider this - if you are meeting someone for the first time and they are attracted to you for your vibrant, healthy, glowing and happy self. Whatever you are doing at that time with your health, that is what makes them go WOW! You have already impressed. When you start trading off your health principles of what consistently works well for you, you may well become a less vibrant person to be around - even a little edgy, grumpy, prickly and of course if physical symptoms kick in - unwell. This could be both hazardous for your health as well as your relationship!

If you are not so healthy at the time of meeting, but have been recently and went off track due to a drop in your self care for (perhaps a little lowered single mood syndrome?), the remnants of that still remain in your énergy' - I often see it in the eyes. The vitality is there and meeting the healthy partner in this case can be a great booster on top of your crazy love feelings to get you back on track. Especially if you both allow and support a commitment to each other to aim for the healthiest versions of yourselves. The danger here however, is creating a dependency on your healthy partner to keep your own health journey on track - if your relationship ended you still owe it to yourself to keep up the program! It also takes the pressure off the relationship and gives both of you the opportunity to flourish on your own, and therefore as a couple.

Here are a few of my favourite tips on how you can preserve your health and vitality as you enter (or revive) the world of courting or being courted:

1. Consider healthy oriented first and later dates - romantic hinterland walks, cycling holidays, paddling something together or side by side, couples training, yoga, dancing or ice/roller skating, dog walking and beach toys (frisbees and balls), spa treatments and trail riding. Not only are these fun ways to break the ice and of course encourage you to move your body in all kinds of ways - memories are built on these types of activities.

2. When eating foods you may not normally eat, I suggest digestive enzyme promoters like apple cider vinegar and water if possible, or take with you a tablet/capsule formula recommended for you to the restaurant to have soon after eating. I also suggest popping a double dose of your probiotic formula in before you head out so that your gut bacteria is boosted to help process later. Other digestive protective measures can be added to this regime but probably needs to be tailored to your condition if you have one.

3. When drinking alcohol, I suggest the probiotic step as mentioned above, but also have some liver herbs before starting the night and before you go to bed to help complete the metabolism of alcohol. I've found this to be very useful. It may also help an all night recovery even if you aren't drinking, as when you are awake till the early hours, your liver is still trying to work on whatever your body is processing naturally.

4. If you do find your skin is a location of reaction, you may need to watch your food intake and take measures to order the foods you know you can eat comfortably rather than opt for what your partner is eating if it isn't on your tolerable list. If this can't be avoided, some homeopathic remedies like Apis and Sulfur are great to have on board for instant reactions of rashes or hives. The digestive enzymes and probiotics are again suggested here.

5. A lack of sleep is commonly inevitable in those early times together - just the novelty of having someone new in your life and the possibilities of where it may lead when you are both committed to a common goal, is enough to keep the mind active and moving faster than a bullet train in Tokyo. If you find sleep deprivation is happening - I have a super effective homeopathic sleep formula that many patients have used to help calm that overactive mind down with. Herbs like Valerian, Oats, Lavender, Passionflower and Skullcap may also be helpful.

6. If your relationship is not new, its not too late to make some healthy changes and commitments to each other. If you both think back to the healthiest time in your lives and start there, you will never lose - it is a win/win for both of you - especially if you want to spend a long time with each other enjoying the golden years down the track.

Remember - the next time you roll over and look lovingly into the eyes of your big spunk or gorgeous woman, and you hear old people noises coming out of either of your bodies - its time to dial up a healthy date!

As a naturopath I believe that patients are looking for empathy, results oriented and achievable health advice as well as consideration for the family budget when it comes to supplement and remedy selection.Nicky Wood -Gold Coast Naturopath